Nursery of the world
by Fuzzy footie pajamas
Summary: Being a nation is awfully difficult. There is no end of tragedy and death. In order to have a place to rest, the nations have brought together the nursery. A small safe-space where the nations can have fun and regress. This is a completion of stories and memories the nations have from the nursery. Rating may change. Age regression/ABDL, Omorashi/Omutsu/Diapers, Abtalia
1. Introduction

**Quick warning. The nations phobias, motivations, and rivalries will be heavily history based. There will also be several headcanon related fears and reasons behind certain actions. So some of these chapters may start out, or become rather dark. But I will try to keep the endings much more light-hearted if I can. This chapter will be an introduction, but the next ones will be based on the nursery itself. So if you have any requests or things you want to see, then don't be afraid to say so! I used to have a Tumble blog dedicated to ideas, headcanons, and stories involving the nursery, but I was forced to delete it. But I've decided not to let the nursery die, and revived it as a story! Not just for me, but for a friend of mine, Papa-Matthew. She's an amazing friend and interacted with every single one of the babies I had who I will miss greatly. I hope she's able to read this story as well, and perhaps even enjoy it. Please give her a look on Tumblr and say hi! She's an amazing person, a great author, and deserves a lot of love! I hope you enjoy this story~**

 **(I had a lot of great friends in the Abtalia community. I think I'll give one a shout-out in every chapter~)**

To live, is to suffer. To get where we must be, we must experience some form of suffering. But we as humans are comforted, knowing that they will be an end someday. We have goals to reach and ends to meet. Not all suffering lasts forever, all will come to an end. But for nations, it is not the same.

From the day they are born, to the day their empires fall, nations must be strong. They have to keep their people safe and well by building up their governments and economies. A piece of the world quite literally rested upon their shoulders. They had to build everything from the ground up, and either watch it prosper, or die. For hundreds of thousands of years, this continued on and on and on. It certainly took it's toll on those who had to suffer. While they did have goals to reach, just like regular humans, there was no end goal, other then to raise thier empires properly. There was no end. Not until they failed. Their empires falls. And the nation dies. As awful as it sounded, for nations, death was truly the only escape.

Every now and again, the nations gathered for meetings. Sometimes, the others didn't get a chance to see one another too often between those meetings. It wasn't too surprising to see a nation rosy-cheeked and smiling one month, and then suddenly grow pale and ill the next. Whenever anything went wrong in the world, it brought pain and stress to one or more of the nations. Things were not well. Not in the slightest.

Antonio was the first to realize this. He hated watching his friends feel such pain and sadness. He didn't want to see them suffer any longer. It was his idea to start the nursery in the first place. He knew that some of his friends had little spaces, just as he did. But they mostly kept it hidden from the others. Every now and again, they would play w ith one another. But something simply felt...off. Antonio wanted the others to have this well. This little time was what helped them to relax and feel happy, especially after a stressful and awful day, and he knew it would benefit the others as well, so very much. But how could he get something started for them?

With time, he had an idea. He had come across an older building for sale, that was about the size of a small school house. Upon having a look and inquiring about it, he discovered that it used to be a kindergarten a few years back. Upon entering, there was a large room that served as the classroom. It was big enough for several people. A few doors were in the room, leading to a small restroom, a kitchen, and then two empty rooms to fill with what they pleased. It took him some thought, but soon enough, he purchased the building. He had an idea. He knew what he was going to do.

It took a very long time to set everything up and to gather some members. But with time, patience, and a little help, Antonio had everything ready. What he had created, was the Nursery of the World. A nursery for age regressors to play and be taken care of. The most difficult part however, was selling the others on the idea. He had to do a bit of searching, and had to be persistent. But he was delighted to discover that there were more age regressing nations then he had thought! They all struggled a good deal, and they all needed some sort of outlet. It turned out that this outlit was a bit more common then he thought~ In the beginning, he had gathered up 12 members, including himself. Alfred, Arthur, Feliciano, Francis, Kiku, Lila, Lovino, Ludwig, Matthew, Roderich, and Yao. All of them regressed for their own reasons and had their own motivations behind why they did what they did.

Alfred was the youngest of the group that had been gathered, besides his brother. With his nation rapidly growing and expanding, he was made to grow up quickly, and take on many responsibilities as he did. While he was able to experience and have a childhood, he was still very much a child still. He wasn't ready to grow up. He wasn't ready to have to hold such a large chunk of the world on his shoulders. But he didn't have a choice. It hurt him, and made him upset. He had not been given much experience or guidance, as he was given these tasks and responsibilities fairly soon. And after the Revolutionary war, he was on his own. He no longer had Arthur to help him and take care of him. He was his own nation. While he was happy to have such independence, he quickly found himself growing overwhelmed. He knew that people were not happy unless they had power in his home. But while he had that power that everyone craved, he was not. Being little helped him to be a child again, even if it was only for a moment. It really made him happy and relaxed him.

Unlike Alfred however, Arthur's childhood was a bit more difficult. He had a lot of pride over the fact that he was the ruler of such a large empire, and he felt ready to take it. But he was knocked off his pedestal rather early by his elder brothers: Scotland, and Ireland. They made him feel lowly, and were often cruel in an attempt to make him stronger. But it only proved to bring him pain. As he grew, those scars and feeling of inadequacy never left him. While he still held so much pride for his empire, he found himself full of doubt. Every time he failed or his people were tormented, those feelings rose to the surface once again. Unfortunately, his nation was no stranger to death and tragedy. He had seen more death then he knew what to do with. It led to plenty of fear and paranoia. He couldn't even listen to the fireworks with Alfred any longer without having a panic attack. When he was little, he could have a moment to finally push it out of his head, and finally feel safe.

Feliciano was generally a happy person, and most people treated him as thought his head was filled with air. But it was not true. In fact, he had quite a good deal to worry about. Some of which being his own lack of strength. He knew he wasn't the strongest, nor was he the bravest. But he simply wished that he would at least been shown the smallest bit of respect. He was forever being scolded, belittled, and even kicked around. People took advantage of him, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get out of that cycle of bullying. He vowed to do his very best, ever since he was young. But even then, people like Roderich and Francis would take advantage of him and take things from him. A life filed with manipulation and never being good enough led to a good deal of doubt. Sometimes, he even began to question whether or not he should had ever been a nation. that perhaps the world would be much better off if he had been born a human instead. Or...perhaps not ever born in the first place. But as a little, he didn't have to worry about that any longer. No one took advantage of him or hurt him for not being strong. He could just be happy~

Like Feliciano, Francis was also a generally happy person. Or, that was the aura he let off anyhow. He wanted to fill the world with love and happiness, even if it was not always accepted by others. Which was why he was considered the Big Brother of the world. He cared for many nations: Canada, Britain, Italy, Seychelles, Monaco, America, and so on. It was a bit hard giving his heart out and not always getting it back, sometimes even getting it broken. But he knew it had to be done. But the reason for this, was because he knew just how much hatred and sadness there was in the world. No one was happy, and no one could get along. Throughout his long life, he himself had been subjected to such despair, and was forced to watch others suffer the same. Sometimes, those memories and the knowledge of how broken the world was proved to be too much to bare. And he found himself falling into a deep depression. It wasn't uncommon for Francis to not seem like himself some days, and sometimes even suddenly disappear. He would find things to be hopeless, and couldn't make himself go outside, or sometimes even leave his bed, to see anymore sadness. But by being little, he was able to surround himself with what he loved most: happiness. Radiating from both himself, and from the ones he loved.

When Kiku was small, he was an only child for a very short period of time. But as time passed, more and more siblings were added to the family. Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Out of all of his siblings, besides Yao, he was the oldest. He was taught from early on how to be a big boy and take care of his little brothers and sisters. He was not to cry or fuss or complain. He had to mind the little ones as Yao cooked or cleaned or sometimes even while he went to the market. He was scolded for their misdeeds as he was supposed to be the responsible one. It was not fair. But he was not allowed to complain. When he grew up, after he betrayed Yao in the Sino-Japanese war, he left home, and was isolated from the family for a long time. But even after he had been forgiven and things were back to normal, Kiku was not. He was as stoic as he was as a child, and was afraid to express how he felt, for fear of inconveniencing or troubling others and being scolded. He kept to himself. Being little however, he was able to get that childhood back, and create newer and happier memories as the little boy he was never allowed to be.

Lila had always wanted nothing more then to be strong, just like her big brother. Even since he had saved her when her nation was in the midst of a depression, she had looked up to him, and wanted to prove to him that she could be just like him. But in doing so, she had to make a few sacrifices. She couldn't wear her dresses or pretty frilled socks. She couldn't go to collect flowers or play with what she wanted to play with. While she wanted to be like him, and did lean towards more masculine things at times, that wasn't who she was. She liked both things. but forcing herself in only one direction for so long took it's toll. She wanted to be herself, but worried that if she did, she wouldn't be strong enough. So she forced herself to keep on one path. When she gets to be little however, she was allowed to do whatever she pleased, whether she wanted to be a little tomboy, or a princess. It was okay. No one was going to think of her differently.

Since he was small, Lovino had been taught just how mean people could be at times. Not only that, but he came to learn just how terrible it felt to be pushed aside, or not wanted. He remembered when he and his little brother had been under Roderich's control for a time. Roderich had considered Lovino unruly and too difficult to deal with him. So he had been passed off to Antonio while he was still young. But during that time, it was so painfully obvious how much Antonio preferred his sweet and obedient brother over him. It was painful. But that wasn't the worst of it. Even Grandpa Rome seemed to prefer Feliciano over him. It wasn't fair! When the Roman Empire fell, he remembered that Felicano had been a mess, crying and pleading for him to come back. But Lovino had not. He had not grown attached to his Grandfather and didn't feel too much during his death. Of course, he felt extremely guilty afterwards. But all of this preference and being pushed aside, left him with many self-esteem problems and issues with trust. But as a little, he was never pushed away or treated like a problem. He could be himself, and not have to worry about being hurt ever again.

While Ludwig only had one nation, it felt like he was raised a dozen. Whenever something went wrong or someone was in trouble, he was the first one they ran to. He was the one who was expected to fix everything. So when he failed, he not only put himself at risk, but he was putting their nation, and thousands of innocent people in danger as well. Despite only having his land, he worked harder then anyone else. This led to many sleepless nights, and days spent in a rush and never having the time to slow down. He tired to make others understand the importance of hard work and have them take over their own responsibilities But when he felt that things were beyond ones abilities, or he didn't trust them to take things seriously enough, then he would take it on himself. He had managed to make himself ill a few times from being careless, and had even suffered a stress induced panic attack in the privacy of the meeting room after hours, and was caught by none other then Matthew. It was difficult and he just wished people wouldn't have to keep coming to him. When he was little however, he finally had a chance to be still. Nothing left to worry about, and no one to make him do things he didn't want to do.

Speaking of Matthew, his struggles were ones that were not often seen, or even really considered by the people around him. Ever since he was a little boy, he was always craving and fighting for some form of validation and affection. But it was often his big brother that took the spotlight from him. The one person who payed attention and showed him affection he remembered, was his papa Francis. But when he was still small, he was taken away from him, and the rest of his childhood was spent with Arthur, who, while being rather kind, still had Alfred as the apple of his eye. He never found that fair, but he couldn't bring himself to fuss or complain. Since those days, he still had trouble getting any form of attention or affection. When he did get it however, that often ended a bit poorly. He would try so hard to earn that affection, rather then simply take it. He grew so upset over his mistakes and mishaps, and would strive to do things perfectly for the person he loved. This often took a large blow to his self-esteem and led to plenty of self-doubt. But as a little, he didn't have to fight for attention or worry about not being good enough. He could be hugged and touched all he wanted.

While Ludwig no doubt worked the hardest, and a lot of the nations had trouble with accepting mistakes, it was Roderich that took those mistakes the hardest. He was afraid. Afraid of failure. More then anything, he wanted to prove to others that he was strong and could do well on his own. He wanted to show Elizabeta that he didn't need the Austro-Hungarian alliance to be powerful, and he wanted to prove Gilbert wrong as well. He wasn't as weak or powerless as he made him out to be. He kept the bar of expectations high for others and was often scolding them for their mistakes. But for himself, he placed that at right out of his reach, always pushing it higher. He had to be perfect, he had to be strong, and just being himself was never enough. But in doing this, he caused himself much grief and anxiety over such things, and even managed to give himself a few panic attacks when he found himself in a situation he could not control. Or even worse, when that situation was caused by his own foolishness. As a little, he didn't have to hold himself up so high any longer, and he didn't have to try so hard. He could just be himself.

Finally, there was Yao. He was the oldest of the gathered nations, and it defiantly showed. As an older nation, he had a bit more trouble doing the things he could do with ease as a younger man, and he often had to rely on help. Throughout his long long life as a nation, he had seen many many things. Much death and destruction, things that could sometimes not even compare to what Arthur had experienced. China was a large and heavily populated place, so he defiantly still had plenty to do. But it was taking its toll as his life winded down. Frequent dreams of the past, paranoia, and sometimes even stretches of time where he was too afraid to step out of the house. Who knows what was next? He had raised many children during his time, but now, they were all grown up and faced issues and struggles of their own. He did his best to help them, but often could not. So now, he had to watched half a dozen loved ones suffer just as he did. He couldn't protect them. And it's slowly beginning to break his heart. But being little lets him let those things go. He can get rid of his bad memories, even just for a moment, and be happy. No more war, no more sadness, and no more death.

With the group formed, the nursery was put together, they were introduced to everyone's little sides, and a schedule was put out. Every week, the group would meet, and at least two caregivers were chosen from the bunch. It usually differed, depending on who was willing to volunteer, or who needed to be cared for the most. But everyone got a chance to be a caregiver. It was structured much like a kindergarten, with a daily schedule printed out and set in place with playtimes, snack time, nap time, and even some periods where they got to sit and learn with one another. It gave off a wonderful vibe and brought everyone to an environment they had not seen before, as none of them had ever gone to school as children, but had heard plenty about it. They planned out filed trips, holidays, sleepovers, and even birthday parties! Things were looking so exciting.

Before long, the nursery ballooned from 12 members, to 16! Vash discovered where Lila had been spenidn her time, and after a few arguments with the others and some prompting from Lila, he joined too. Ivan came next, discovering the wonderful little place. He was a little hurt that he had not been told about it too, but he soon became a part of it. And finally, Elizabeta and Gilbert joined together. Ludwig told Gilbert after he had gotten together the courage, only to discover that Gilbert had a little space as well! Gilbert was given permission to tell Elizabeta, and now the two of them were members as well.

With everyone together and everyone here, the nursery was prospering, and everyone was happy. Now, that didn't mean adult issues didn't slip in every now and again. Sometimes members could not show up because of things they were forced to take care of, and sometimes a day was even cancelled if something big was coming up. sometimes adult thoughts and rivalries wormed their way into the nursery, making the others upset. But the problem was soothed as soon as humanly possible in order to make everyone happy. The nursery was a blessing to so many nations. So many games to play. So many friends to meet. So much fun to be had.

And many stories to be told.


	2. Let sleeping babies lie

**Thank you to everyone who has been so patient with me for this chapter! I've had a heavy dip when it came to ideas and motivation, and this is currently the fourth draft for an idea. So hopefully this one sticks. In the last chapter, I stated I would be giving shout-out every chapter. Oh boy, where do I even start? Last chapter, I spoke about my dear friend, Papa-Matthew~ Today, I want to recognize my friend, who goes by the username Bloodied-Lullabies on Tumblr. Oh gosh, she's been such a sweet friend, and is so much fun to talk to! Before my Tumblr's were deleted, we would speak a lot, and roleplay as well. Playing with 2P Nyo! America, or Ciel Phantomhive, it was always so fun. And our conversations were great as well. Please go see her, and talk to her plenty okay? She's an absolute darling~**

 **Caregivers for this chapter: Feliciano and Matthew~ (Regarding who is a caregiver in which chapter by the way, I usually use a random generator~) This chapter will focus a bit more on all of them interacting, rather then focus on one single character :)**

A general feeling of calmness and stillness was washed over the nursery. It was quiet time for the little ones, a special section of time used for quiet and gentle play in order to wind them all down for naptime. As the little ones played, the two caregivers for the day: Matthew and Feliciano, kept watch nearby to make sure that all was well. Matthew sat quietly in the rocking chair, as Feliciano stood by his side, smiling brightly. They were both so happy to see all 14 of the little ones getting along nicely, even the ones that usually could get a bit nasty with one another. Everyone was rather occupied: coloring, reading, playing with a doll or a stuffed animal, one or two of them were even dozing off already! The relaxed atmosphere was what Matthew liked best. Everything was peaceful and very relaxed. He wished it could always be this nice. He tilted his head back a bit and looked up towards the clock mounted on the wall. Ah, quiet time was over it appeared. Looks like it was time for everyone to have their nap. Matthew stood from the rocking chair, which got Feliciano's attention. He clapped his hands together softly to rouse everyone, and have them put their eyes on him.

"Little ones," he said. "Let's put away our toys now. It's nap-time." His announcement got a few quiet nods in return, along with the groan here and there. He chuckled softly. It was the same every time. "But remember everyone, let's try and keep on our inside voices okay? It's still quiet time now. No shouting," he encouraged. Once he had gotten out what he needed to say, he and Feliciano stepped foreword to help tidy up, and get the room ready for nap time. Toys were put away, books were put into their proper shelf, and crayons were neatly placed back into their box. Once the room was all clean and tidy, now it was time to get the little all ready for nap time too.

"Alright everyone! You did such a good job!" Feliciano praised, folding his hands behind his back and smiling widely. "Now, let's all get dressed into our pajamas and get our stuffies from the cubbies okay?" Once again, there was a chorus of agreement in response. So, the two caregivers got to helping dress and change the little charges.

Each member of the nursery had a pair of pajamas folded and placed in a designated cubby hole for them. So now, they began to dress, with the held of the caregivers. Two piece pajama sets for Alfred, Antonio, Yao, Vash, and Arthur. Footed sleepers for Gilbert, Ludwig, Lovino, and Lili. Sleep gowns for Roderich, Elizabeta, Francis, and Ivan. And a hooded kirugami for Kiku. It was often a bit of a trial getting everyone ready, but it wasn't too bad.

"Alfred bro, you have to settle down now," Matthew chuckled. He had Alfred lying on the ground, and was trying to pull his Captain America pajama bottoms up and over his training pants. "Can't get you dressed if you keep squirming silly."

"But I'm not tired!" Alfred giggled, a bit too riled to sleep at the moment. "I don't to take a nap right now."

"Well, you say that pretty often. And yet, what happened when you lie down?" Matthew asked. Alfred didn't answer, so Matthew smiled a poked his nose. "You fall asleep soon after. I don't even think you hear the story we tell all the way through."

"So?" Alfred questioned, knowing he had a point, but not so willing to accept it. Matthew only smiled and shook his head. As he finished helping him, he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. When Matthew turned, he saw Roderich standing there, all dressed up in his night gown. He had something in his hand, and when Matthew acknowledged him, he held it out for him. In his hand, he had a tape. Matthew had a look a smiled.

"I think that's a fine choice. Why don't you go ahead and put it in the radio for us hm?" He suggested. It was Roderich's job, both little and big, to pick the music played during nap time. He had shown Matthew a tape of lullabies he wanted to here this time, hoping for his approval. With a little nod, Roderich turned and went to play his music, while Matthew finished dressing Alfred.

As this went on, Feliciano hummed softly as he buttoned up Vash's pajama shirt. Vash was often insistent that he dress himself for nap time. But the poor thing still had trouble sometimes doing the buttons by himself. Vash averted his gaze, keeping it on the ceiling as the shorter man buttoned him up properly. "you almost did it all by yourself this time!" Feliciano praised kindly. "You were off by a button, but that's okay! You did your very best, and that's all that counts."

"Mm," Vash mumbled in response, pouting softly. "But, I wanted to do it alone..." Feliciano could only smile back. Vash reminded him a lot of his own big brother. He was a little stubborn sometimes, but still had a big heart, even if he didn't always show it. Once Vash was all done up, Feliciano smoothed out his shirt, and then brushed off his hands. Speaking of his brother, where was he now anyways? Hands on his hips, he scanned the room, trying to locate Lovino. Ah! There he was~

Matthew was holding Lovino's hand and walking across the classroom with him. Lovino's cheeks seemed to be a bit pink, and his gaze was focused on the floor. He was not in his pajamas just yet it would seem. Feliciano skipped over to them, pausing near them. "Hey brother. Why aren't you all dressed yet?" He asked. Lovino didn't answer, only blushing harder. So Matthew answered for him.

"Well, I was about to dress him actually. But Lovino needed a bit of a potty break first," Matthew chuckled. He felt Lovino pinch his hand as he looked up at him incredulously.

"You didn't have to announce it!" Lovino protested.

"Oh! I'm sorry Lovino, I didn't mean to embarrass you like that," Matthew quickly apologized. Even as a little, Lovino was rather sensitive about that sort of thing. His little space age was a bit older, and he was potty-trained, for the most part. But he still did need reminders every now and then to take breaks. However, he did not like it when it was brought to anyone's attention, as it made him rather upset.

"Never mind! I'll go by myself," Lovino said, pulling his hand away and marching off. Matthew sighed softly and scratched his head. He hadn't mean to make him so upset. Poor boy...

"Matthew?" Matthew attention was caught when his name was called. When he looked, he saw Arthur standing there, his face partially hidden behind a story book he held in his hands. "Um, it was my turn to choose the story today," Arthur reminded him, handing him the book. Matthew took the book in his hands and looked it over. The story was called, 'The store-bought doll.' On the cover was a small girl with braids and an orange dress. In her arms, she cradled a blonde, fragile looking doll with a pink dress. "I want to here this one today. Please?" Arthur asked, rocking gently back and forth on his feet.

"Haha. Of course Arthur. This is a nice story, I like it too," Matthew praised. He looked Arthur up and down for a second before smiling. "Hey, I see you got all dressed by yourself huh? Good job!" Arthur's cheeks were a pink, but he didn't answer. Arthur's little space age was rather varied. Sometimes, he could be very young. And other times, he was a bit older. It was always fluctuating it would seem. Still, it was important to praise the little things. He thrived with praise and kindness, and the caregivers always made sure to show him such things for his accomplishments. A little smile crept to Arthur's face, before he turned and went to his cubby to get his stuffed bunny.

Once everyone was dressed, Matthew and Feliciano rolled out the sleeping mats, placed clean pillow cases on all the pillows, and blankets over the mats. There was a name sewn onto each pillow case, in order to designate each mat to a certain little. When everything was set out and ready, the little ones went to lie in their area. Most of them held a stuffed animal, or a comfort item of some sort, in order to help them sleep. Some of them had the normal stuffed animals. Arthur's rabbit, Kiku, Alfred, and Ivan's bears, Ludwig's sheep, and Yao's panda. Some of the animal friends were not so traditional. Like Gilbert's shark, Vash's penguin, Antonio's turtle, and Lili's little wooden duck, which she tucked in securely at her side. And some, did not have stuffed animals, like Lovino, Elizabeta, and Roderich, who were content having thier space to themselves, or Francis, who was curled up with a special blanket instead. When Feliciano and Matthew were littles for the day, Matthew usually had Kumajiro, and Feliciano had a little, white stuffed cat.

When everyone was settled down, Matthew went and sat down in his little rocking chair, with Feliciano standing at his side. He had the book resting on his lap, and could see that Arthur was looking rather pleased. "Alright everyone. Today, Arthur got to choose our story. And we will be listening to, 'The store-bought doll,'" Matthew announced, holding up the book so that they could see it.

"That's a girls book!" Came a sudden protest. Gilbert was propped up on his elbows, looking a bit discouraged. With Gilbert, he wasn't afraid to speak his mind when he didn't agree with something, or was unhappy with anything. "That book was written for girls! Why did you pick a girls book Arthur?" Matthew opened his mouth to protest, but Elizabeta did it for him.

"No it isn't! It's a 'everyone' book," she said, sitting up as well. Elizabeta liked to play the role of 'mommy' for everyone, even when she was not a caregiver for the day. She was quick to come to her friends defense, and take charge of situations. Sometimes, she could be just a little bossy. But he had no bad intentions in mind. She simple wished to keep things orderly if she could. "And besides, even if it is a girls books, what's so wrong with that? Arthur gets to choose, not you!"

"But I don't want to hear something like that! It's about a doll, and dolls are for little girls!" Gilbert pointed out to her.

"I think it's a nice story..." Kiku muttered softly, nearly inaudible.

"Does it really matter?" Ludwig asked them, his own voice blocking out Kiku's. He was already rather tired, and didn't really care about what they listened to for the most part. "Can't we just hear the story and go to sleep?" He said, his eyes closed, and his large arms wrapped around his little lamb.

Matthew chewed his lip as he scanned the group. They were stating to get a bit upset, and would not be able to sleep. He could see that Arthur was burying himself further and further under his blanket, clearly embarrassed. "I can just choose something else if you don't like that one," Arthur offered, a little downcast. What was wrong with choosing what he wanted? Why did they have to give him such a hard time for it? Well, Matthew simply couldn't let things stay this way.

"Alright, that's enough," Matthew said, getting the others attention. He rose from his chair and approached Gilbert. He knelt down next to him, his expression gentle. "Gilbert, it's like Elizabeta said. Today was Arthur's turn. It isn't nice of you to be mean, or say hurtful things. How would you feel if Arthur did the same to you?" Matthew asked. Gilbert's face was rather flushed as he shifted.

"N-Not very good," he answered.

"Exactly. So I think it's only right that you treat Arthur in the way you want to be treated. Right?" Gilbert nodded. "Right. Now, why don't you tell him your sorry now hm?" Gilbert looked rather surprised, and a bit unwilling as well. "Come on Gilbert. It's not very nice to-"

"I know I know!" Gilbert interrupted, sighing softly. "Arthur, I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have been rude, and I should have let you have your story."

"It's alright," Arthur nodded, a majority of his face still hidden under the blanket. His hair was poking out from under the covers, as well as his rabbit's ears. Matthew reached over and gently stroked Arthur's hair. He knew he was still a little upset, and might not come out right away. Well, he would not push him of course. He would give him time to settle. Matthew stood now and returned to the rocking chair, where the book was waiting.

"Right, now, let's read, shall we?" Matthew offered, opening the book. He cleared his throat softly and began to read. As he did, Feliciano walked around the classroom. He made sure that the little ones were all comfortable, tucking them in properly, and making sure their companions were comfortable as well. Matthew's gentle voice was soothing and sweet, lulling the little ones to sleep. Even Gilbert~ Matthew couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. This was the same peaceful feeling from earlier, when they all had their quiet time. He enjoyed it very much.

Once the story was completed, and everyone was comfortably tucked in, Matthew closed the book and scanned the group. Everyone was resting comfortably, and the only sounds in the room were the soft breathing of the little ones, and the gentle creaking of the rocking chair. Feliciano went, and switched the radio on to play Roderich's tape. It was already set at a low volume, in order to not wake anyone up. The soothing sound would hopefully keep them all asleep, or at least help them self-sooth if any of them did happen to wake up. The two of them now stood quietly, allowing themselves to rest as well. Running the nursery was never an easy job. Not for anyone. One had to have patience, perseverance, kindness, and plenty of strength. It was a wonderful place, and it made everyone so happy though. So the work was always always worth it, just to see everyone smile. The adult world could be so scary, especially for nations. But to see everyone so content and peaceful, it was a sight for sore eyes. Everyone could rest, and be comforted, knowing that they were being watched over and protected. No harm would come to them while they were here, and everyone just wished to get along. There was no more sadness, no more fighting, and no more stress. At least, there wasn't while they were there. Everyone understood each other in the nursery, and cared about one another. It was more then just a nursery. It was a safe haven. A quiet place. A home.

And they all hoped it stayed that way for many years to come.


	3. When to break a promise

**I want to give a shout-out today, to my friend Skye, or Sweetmomopuffs. She's an amazing friend, artist, and story writer! I'm really grateful to know her and have been given the opportunity to talk to her. I really admire her work, and I always have, ever since I joined the Abtalia community. Please give her a look on DeviantArt, and Tumblr. She's very kind, and a real pleasure to talk to~**  
 **Caregivers for the day: Francis and Ludwig~ (What's interesting to me, is who turns out to be a caregiver in every chapter. I use a random generator to determine who are the caregivers for each chapter (excluding those who are supposed to be littles in the chapter), and I feel like for each selection, there is a different way the story could go, y'know?)**

Danger was Gilbert's middle name. If there was a line he was not supposed to cross, or a border he was expected to keep within, that only peaked his curiosity. He knew that something was beyond those lines that he was forbidden to cross. Something interesting or fun. Maybe even a bit dangerous. Whatever it was, he wanted to see it for himself and get to experience it. In the back of his head, he knew that the rules were set in place to keep him safe, and make sure he didn't get hurt or lost. But that seemed to make him even more curious. What could there be beyond that barrier that could get him hurt? What was in that labyrinth that could swallow him in? His thirst for adventure continued to grow and grow everyday. And he knew that one day, he simply wouldn't be able to resist.

One afternoon, the littles were strapping their shoes onto their feet and their sweaters on their backs. It was just about time for recess, and they were defiantly rather excited. Per usual~ As Francis went around making sure that shoes were properly tied and toys were out of their pockets, Ludwig suddenly brought his large hands together, clapping the only twice. The loud sound had them all looking towards him. "Listen up everyone. I have an announcement to make!" he called, which quickly had them all listening. "It's come to my attention that it may not be the best idea to be outside right now." The littles were quick to question why, rather disappointed. "As you may know, last nights storm was a rather large one. The playground is still rather wet, and muddy as well. If you all went out right now, you're not only as risk for getting yourselves dirty, but you are also at risk for injury." Gilbert was quick to raise an eyebrow.

"Get hurt?" he called out, interrupting his next words. "It's just mud! Nobodies gonna get hurt brother!" Ludwig shook his head.

"It's very easy to slip and fall in these conditions. The playground equipment is all wet as well and will be very easy to slide off of. I believe it is in everyone's best interests that we keep indoors today. We'll still be having our playtime of course. but it will be kept in the classroom, rather then on the playground." Some of the little ones didn't seem to mind too much. And others were distraught and upset.

"Please do not fret," Francis spoke up as he got up from his kneeling position. "We can still have plenty of fun in here! And it will certainly not be this wet tomorrow! The playground will still be there when the time comes. Now, what do you say we all have playtime then?" His optimistic attitude seemed to help cheer some of them up. So now, he and Ludwig worked together to take off the shoes and remove the sweaters once again. One by one, the nations went off to play. Optimistic about tomorrow. But there was one little nation who wasn't so apt to wait for then...

Kiku sat at a little table, drawing on a sheet of white paper with the crayons provided for the nursery. He was by himself right now, but he didn't mind it too much. He preferred independent play more then he did group activities. And besides, he had his little bear by his side. So he wasn't lonely. He felt someone brush past him, so he paused, and looked up. Gilbert crossed the room and approached the door that led to the playground. Kiku watched him apprehensively. What was he doing? Gilbert stepped to the side so he could look out the window. Ah, it would seem he was still rather upset about not getting to go and play. Poor thing. Perhaps he would feel better if Kiku invited him to draw with him. He would much rather play by himself. But the teachers had been trying to encourage him not to always be so secluded, and to try and break out of his shell at least once and awhile. He could still play alone if he wanted to. But just not every minute. Kiku set his crayons down and got up, hurrying over to the shelf where all the art supplies were kept. He pulled out some more paper and crayons for Gilbert. He came back to the table and set them down for him. Then he looked up again. When he did, he felt all the color drain from his face.

Kiku had just barely managed to catch the door closing. Like it had been opened already. When he glanced around the classroom, he couldn't see Gilbert. He didn't go outside did he? He wouldn't have done something like that right? He should know better! But when he looked for him, he still couldn't see him. Had the teachers not seem him leave? He could see that Ludwig was writing something down on the blackboard for later, as Yao watched on. And after a moment, he spotted Francis entering the restroom with Alfred, so he could only assume Alfred was about to be changed or something. They hadn't been keeping a close enough eye on Gilbert, and he had escaped! Oh no, what was he supposed to do? He was tempted to go to the teachers and tell them. But that made him worried. Was that tattling? He remembered when he was younger and helped to watch over his siblings, he had been warned against such a thing. He fidgeted a bit as he thought about it. He usually had to take care of such problems by himself when Yao was busy. Maybe this was one of them. After all, Kiku was older then Gilbert. Sure, Gilbert's little-space age was older then Kiku's, but physically, Kiku really was older. so it was up to him to stop him!

Kiku made sure no one was watching him, before hurrying to the door and letting himself out as quietly as he could. "Gilbert?" he called out. It didn't take him too long to spot him. Thank goodness for that! Gilbert was kneeling on the ground, poking at the mud with a stick. He had his shoes and hos sweater on now, which made Kiku realize with a shiver that he himself did not. He was still wearing only his socks. the thermal shirt and jeans helped keep him a bit warmer, but it was still not a sweater...

Gilbert's head jerked up, and he smiled when he saw Kiku. "Oh hi! Did you come out here to join me?" he asked. "It's super nice out today isn't it?" Kiku hesitated. He was tempted to scold him for being so silly and coming out here. But he lowered his eyes to the ground. He could see the waste band of Gilbert's training pants poking out from his jeans, reminding him that Gilbert was still in a three year old mindset. It wouldn't help him to scold. Kiku chewed his lip a bit. He was wavering a bit between still being in his little space, and falling into big space. He had to be the big brother figure right now and tell Gilbert gently why he was in the wrong. So he took in a deep breath, and slowly let it out.

"Gilbert, you're not supposed to be out here. It's too wet. The teachers said so, remember?" Kiku reminded his friend. "We need to go back inside. Or else someone could get hurt."

"Oh c'mon Kiku! No ones gonna get hurt!" Gilbert sighed as he stood up straight. "My brother just said that because he didn't want to clean the mud out of everyone's hair. But there's no way we could get hurt out here!"

"Please Gilbert! You could slip and fall you know? We should really go back inside." Kiku stepped off the concrete and on the grass. But he was quick to jump back when he felt the mud squish onto his sock foot. Oh right, he didn't have shoes on right now. Ugh. "Please come back inside." But Gilbert was not interesting in listening. He seemed to be more interested in the playground equipment, which he ran to quickly. "No! Come back! I can't go after you right now!"

"Oh well," Gilbert teased, sticking his tongue out at him. He hurried to the slide and Kiku was left to watch him as he climbed up the ladder, gripping each rung carefully so he didn't slip and fall. The metal was damp, and a bit hard to keep a hold on. But he managed to scale up the slide and get to the top. Kiku hoped he would just slide down. But no. Gilbert seemed to have a point that he wanted to make. Once he reached the top, he hoisted himself to his feet and stood. "See? What did I tell you? Nothing happened!"

"I-I see that now! You've made your point! Now please get yourself down from there!" Kiku called to him. Oh dear, what was he supposed to do now? He was going to get himself hurt! "It's cold out here isn't it? Let's go back inside! We can play with the others!"

"Inside? But that's so boring!" Gilbert sighed. "You're always taking things much too safe Kiku. I know you don't want to get hurt, but if you keep up like that, you'll never have any fun or find anything new." Kiku bit his lip. He had seen plenty of new things in his lifetime and been through plenty. The last thing he wanted was to leave this safe space he had created for himself. He wring his hands as Gilbert lowered himself down so he could properly sit on the metal of the slide. And as he did, just what Kiku feared would happen, happened. He saw Gilbert's knees tremble a little, and one of his feet slid out from under him. Before Kiku's eyes, he stumbled a little and seemed to be unsure weather or not he should try and stand, or sit. He slipped on the wet metal, and fell from the slide. He was grateful it wasn't too long of a drop. But it still didn't look good. Gilbert threw his hands out in front of him to try and cushion the fall a bit. He hit the ground on his hands and then onto his side. Kiku gasped softly, and his worry only increased when Gilbert cried out and curled up a bit, cradling his arm.

"Gilbert!" Kiku ran out to him, despite how cold the mud felt against his socks and came to his side. "Gilbert, are you alright?" Kiku knelt down. He could feel his heart jump to his throat when he saw the tears in Gilbert's scarlet eyes and how loosely he held his wrist. "Did you get hurt?" He reached out to touch his arm, but Gilbert quickly jerked it away.

"Don't touch it!" he said quickly. Kiku jumped, but nodded. He helped Gilbert properly sit up, and only then could he have a look at his wrist. It looked like it was swelling up a little, and a bruise was forming. Oh no. Had he sprained his wrist when he fell?

"Gilbert, let's go back inside now. We need to tell the teachers quickly!" Kiku said to him. But Gilbert shook his head.

"N-No, we can't. I'll be fine, we don't need to tell them." Kiku was a bit surprised by that. "There's nothing wrong. I just fell kinda funny, so my wrist hurts a little. but it's not a big deal!" He assured Kiku. "We can't tell anyone."

"But Gilbert, you look like you might be hurt. It looks painful. We really need someone to help you."

"No!" He knew if they told either of the teachers, then he would end up getting in trouble for going outside when he wasn't supposed to! His brother wasn't afraid to spank when he did something he wasn't supposed to, and that was the absolute last thing he wanted. He saw the look Kiku had in his eyes, and he knew he was going to tell on him when they got inside. "Listen, you have to promise you won't tell on me!"

"But..."

"You're my friend aren't you? Friends don't get other friends in trouble. You understand? so if you're my friend, then you won't tell on me. Right?" Kiku chewed on his lip. He knew it wasn't the right thing to do. But he also knew he would make Gilbert so upset if he told. He didn't want to loose a friend. so, even though it went against his better instincts, he nodded. "Good! Now c'mon. They might be getting suspicious." Kiku took his good arm and helped him to his feet. He watched as Gilbert let his injured arm fall to his side, and could see he was trying to keep it still. But he could tell by the way his fingers twitched, that he wanted to cradle it once again. It had to be awfully painful no? Kiku wished he would get past his fear and just tell someone. Well, maybe he would get help once the day had ended and the class was let out. He just hoped that was the case.

Gilbert led the way back to the door and careful opened it. He peeked inside to make sure the coast was clear. It looked like Ludwig and Francis was discussing amongst one another. Maybe they didn't know what had happened. Maybe they didn't know they were gone. Gilbert pushed the door open a bit more, and snuck inside. Kiku followed after him and closed the door behind him. He grimaced a bit and removed his muddy socks before they could stain the carpet. He could see gilbert was trying to remove his sweater, but was having a bit of trouble doing it by himself. Especially with his injury. So Kiku quickly helped him remove it. He hung the sweater up for him in his cubby, and then stuffed the socks into his shoes that were also in the cubby. He would wash those at home later. He looked to see where Gilbert might be now.

Gilbert sat quietly in the little book corner where the bookshelves and beanbag chairs were. He had his knees drawn up to his chest and hugged them carefully. He didn't feel much like playing anymore. What could he play anyways that would prevent the pain from flaring up again anyways? He didn't want to try. It wasn't like him to be this still and this unenthusiastic. and it certainly didn't go unnoticed.

"Gilbert?" He looked up to see who was addressing him, and was met with a pair of violet eyes, hidden behind thin frames. "Are you okay?" Ah, he wouldn't put it past Matthew to miss this sort of a thing. Both as a caregiver, and as a little, he was very attentive towards these sorts of things. "You seem upset."

"Don't worry about it okay? I'm just kinda tired."

"Tired?" Matthew asked, a little confused. "But, nap time wasn't too long ago was it?" he reminded him. "Did you not get enough sleep?"

"I don't know. I guess not," Gilbert said with a shrug. "Look, can you go play somewhere else? I want to be alone right now."

"Are you sure?" Matthew was a bit worried. He didn't want to leave Gilbert alone, especially not if something was wrong. "Me and Alfred were about to play a board game. We would really like having another player with us." Gilbert didn't answer him, a little frustrated. "Please Gilbert?" Matthew continued as he reached out to take his hand. "It might be-"

"Cut it out! Don't touch me!" Gilbert scolded as quickly pulled back the injured wrist Matthew had touched, and shooed him away with his other hand. Matthew jumped a took a step back. Whoops. He didn't mean to yell at the kid. Matthew stared at the ground for a second, a little unsure of how to respond to him. Then he lifted his head after a bit.

"Right. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," he said bashfully. Then, he turned and hurried back to the table where Alfred was waiting for him. Gilbert sighed heavily and stared at the ground. He really didn't mean to shout at him. He just meant for him not to touch him or bother him. He felt someone sit next to him, which made him sigh again. Kiku was gazing at him with concerned eyes.

"Gilbert..."

"It's fine okay? Just quite worrying about me." He gave Kiku a bit of a look. "And don't forget your promise either! You can't tell anyone." Kiku chewed on his lip.

"No. I didn't forget. But I still really don't think this is such a good idea," he warned. "you're wrist is going to keep hurting until you get someone to help you. You know that don't you?"

"Of course I do. I don't need you to keep telling me that. But it doesn't hurt that much right now, so it'll be fine." Kiku didn't think that was the truth. Especially considering how defensive he got when Matthew attempted to touch him. It probably hurt more then he was letting on. That was the way gilbert had always been. He would attempt to walk it off when he scrapped his knees, and augh away when he bumped his elbow. He was trying too hard to be stronger then he really was. And that worried him a good deal. But he made a promise. Promises were not supposed to be broken, no matter what right? So he had to do as he said he would, and not tell anyone about what happened. "Anyways, what did you want?" Kiku smiled warily at him.

"Um, we're about to play a game, the whole class is. You should come and join in," he encouraged. Gilbert slowly nodded as Kiku stood up. He tried not to put pressure on his injured wrist as he pulled himself up from the ground. then, he went with Kiku, and joined the other 12 that sat waiting at the rug. At least every other day, the class would have a big game that they could all play together. It was a really nice team activity and helped to encourage interaction amongst one another. Ludwig and Francis stood on either side of the big blackboard, waiting patently for the little class to settle, and to listen in.

"Today," Ludwig began, a warm smile on his face, "I was thinking we could play, Simon says." Gilbert didn't know how he felt about that. He loved games where they could move around. But he was just a little concerned. Would he be able to move properly when his wrists was hurt. Well...he would be fine wouldn't he? Just fine! "To play the game, me and Francis will be Simon. When we say, 'Simon says,' you have to do what we tell you. But if we don't say it, then don't do what we tell you. If you mess up, then you're out. Sound simple enough?" the others nodded, rather pleased by the idea. "Alright then! Everyone, stand up please," he encouraged as he motioned for everyone to stand. Gilbert was a bit shaky, but he managed to properly stand.

"Alright then! Let's begin~" Francis said with a big smile of his own. "Let's see. Simon says...stand on one foot." Right on cue, the little ones lifted a single foot from the ground. It was rather amusing to watch some of them giggle and wobble around as they tried to keep their balance. "Very good! Alright, Simon says, put both feet back on the ground." A relieved sigh went around the room as they stood straight once again. The game continued like this for a good deal. The little giggled and played along, having such a grand time with one another. Some forgot to follow certain rules and were taken out of the game. but for the most part, everyone really had fun. Until...just around the end of the game.

Only a few of the littles were still playing, the others having been taken out. The ones still playing were Gilbert, Ivan, Arthur, and Yao. They had been listening as carefully as they could, and had managed to stay in the game. Ludwig scratched his chin for a second. "Sit down," he said. Yao twitched, and almost did as he was told. but managed to catch himself before he could. Gilbert huffed. Shoot, so close. He had been getting rather excited, and had managed to forget about his injury. It didn't hurt too badly anymore, and he was more focused on having fun! "Good! Alright. Simon says, flap your hands. Like your trying to dry them." Quickly, all four of them did as he said. But Gilbert quickly came to regret it. He brought his hands up, and began to fan them, fast and rough. He flapped only twice, before the pain in his wrist flared up, and made his hand grow very tense.

"Ah!" He cried out suddenly, startling the others. He grabbed his arm with the other hands and squeezed it to try and get rid of the pain. but that only made it worse.

"Gilbert?!" Ludwig quickly approached his brother, who was just trying not to start crying. "Gilbert what happened? Are you hurt?" When had Gilbert hurt himself? How could he have not noticed sooner? Gilbert couldn't seem to answer him, and completely dissolved into tears. Ludwig noticed the way he shielded his arm, trying to make sure he didn't touch it. "Is something wrong with your arm? Here, let me see." Gilbert refused however, and held his arm away. Ludwig was perplexed. What could be wrong? As he tried to figure out what was wrong with his brother, Francis managed to catch sight of something else. Kiku was edging farther and farther away. He looked worried, but guilty at the same time. Was it possible that he knew what was wrong? Hmm.

"Ludwig, why don't you take Gilbert to the first aid station?" Francis suggested, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think someone here knows what's wrong. But has yet to say so." Ludwig looked a little confused, but he nodded. He lifted his sobbing brother into his arms, and carried him away. When the nursery had first been found by Antonio, there had been two empty rooms attached. One of them was made into a First-Aid station, or a nurses room-like area. The second one was a quiet area, with a few couches and quiet toys. the littles could be taken there if they were upset or overwhelmed, or they just needed a quiet place to talk or have a private chat. Once they were out of sight, Francis approached Kiku, who kept his eyes down. Something was not right, and he knew that. He knelt down in front of the shorter man and gently took his hands. "Kiku? Please look at me." At first, Kiku kept his eyes down. but he knew he had to face the music. So, he slowly lifted his brown eyes to meet Francis's violet ones. "I think there is something you are not telling me. Is that right?" Kiku let his eyes fall again.

"Well...yes," he said. "But I really can't tell you!" Francis raised an eyebrow as Kiku tugged on the bottom of his shirt. "I made a promise to Gilbert that I wouldn't tell on him. And I'm not supposed to break a promise! That's the rule. Right?" Ah. Now he understood what was happening. He thought about taking Kiku to the little quiet room. But if he did, no one would be here to watch the others. So for now, he would have to settle for this.

"You're right. It's very important to keep a promise isn't it? And good for you for remembering that," Francis praised. "But sometimes, there are certain secrets that are not okay to keep. and you have to break your promise. If someone is doing something bad, or hurting someone else, you need to tell someone. If someone is in danger, or hurt, then you need to say something. you can't keep that kind of a secret. It's wonderful that you're trying hard to keep your promise. Because that's what good friends do right?"

"Uh-huh. Gilbert told me that if I was his friend, then I wouldn't tell." Kiku said with a sniffle.

"Maybe. But do you know what an even better friend should do?" Francis asked. Kiku shook his head. "Good friends take care of each other. And to take care of Gilbert, you need to tell when he is hurt, even f he tells you not to. No one is going to get in trouble, I promise. We just want to make sure you're safe." He smiled warmly. "Now will you please tell me what happened?" Kiku stared at him, tears welling up in his eyes.

"W-Well..."

Meanwhile in the nurses station, Gilbert was sitting on the table, sniffling and whining a bit as Ludwig looked over his wrist. "My goodness. How did you manage to do this to yourself? When did you get hurt?" he asked, pressing his thumb in certain areas to see where was tender, and where it wasn't. Gilbert didn't say, only crying out when Ludwig pressed a part that was particularly painful. "Ah, I'm sorry," he said quickly as he released the pressure. "That looks like a sprain Gilbert. I'll put some ice on it, and then wrap it up afterwards," he said. Gilbert quickly shook his head.

"No, don't touch it!" He said unhappily. "It hurts!"

"I know it does little one," Ludwig sighed, kissing his forehead. "But I need to treat it, before it gets any worse. So please be brave for me okay?" Gilbert sucked in a breath, but nodded. "Good boy. Now, just hold your arm still for me okay?" As he went for the ice, the door opened once again. Francis stepped in, his arm around Kiku, who looked a little guilty. Francis approached Ludwig and quietly spoke to him in a low tone. Ludwig nodded a few times as he listened before thanking Francis. then he turned to Gilbert with an ice pack. "Gilbert," he said. "Did you go outside when I told you not to?" he asked. Gilbert's eyes widened a bit and he looked at Kiku with surprise. "Don't look t hi Gilbert, he doesn't have the answer."

"I...I did but..." He looked at Kiku again, actually rather surprised that he told. He hadn't expected that at all. "Why did you tell on me?" he asked, flinching and fussing when Ludwig placed the cold compress on his wrist, and wrapped a cloth around it to hold it in place on his arm. Kiku fidgeting at stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry Gilbert, I'm really sorry!" Kiku said. "But if I didn't, then they would never find out what happened. You're my friend Gilbert, and I want to take care of you. If I had aid something sooner, then you wouldn't be hurting so much right now!" Kiku said as he teared up. "I'm sorry. I should have said something sooner. I know you made me promise, but it wasn't a good promise. I should have said something. I should have-"

"Hey hey!" Gilbert said. He climbed down from the table and wrapped his arms around him. the cold compress made his wrist numb, so he couldn't feel the pain anymore. "It's alright," he sighed. "I shouldn't have put that kind of stress on you. It was a bad promise. And I'm sorry." Kiku tensed up a bit. So gilbert let him go. Kiku had never been a very big fan of hugs, and it well-known in the nursery that he needed his space. "Sorry about that. But anyways, thanks for watching out for me. I mean it. It's really nice of you to think of me like that." Kiku wiped his eyes, and smiled just a little.

"I'm so glad that you aren't angry with me," he said.

"Of course I'm not! I'm your friend. And I'm always gonna be, no matter what!"

Ludwig chuckled and ruffled Kiku's hair. "Thank you for looking out for my brother. I imagine it was not easy to tell the truth huh? I'm proud of you." Kiku blushed a bit in return. "Now, how about you go back with Francis to play alright?" he suggested. Kiku nodded in return. Francis took his hand, and the two of them walked out again. He turned to gilbert. "You have quite the friend, don't you?"

"Uh-huh. He's great ain't he?"

"Indeed. Now, I think you and I need to have a talk about why we should follow the rules."

"Uh-oh."


End file.
